Fated
by Rainbow Aeris
Summary: Set one year after Advent Children, Tifa is ready to move on from Cloud and start a fresh. However, ever since teaming up with The Turks in order to save the planet once again, can she resist Reno's charm? TifaXRenoXElena Love Triangle. AC SPOILERS!
1. Prologue

**Hello! This is my first ever fanfic! (Well, not my first EVER fanfic, but this is my first fanfic I have shared on here!) I'm not very well organised, so I apologise ifit seems a bit messed up here. Please don't flame me... I do accept negative reviews but I'm not into the 'OH MEH GOD UR FANFIC SUCKZ' kinda stuff. **

**Hehe well I hope you enjoy my fanfic! But first I got to deal with one thing.. The Disclaimer! ¬.¬**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy V11, Advent Children or anything like that and I certainly do not own any of it's characters. Square Enix is in charge of all that stuff, I'm just in charge of this fanfic!**

**Also when you see only one speech mark like this: '...' it means a character is thinking.**

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**Fated**

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Prologue**

The Truth.

Eight Years Ago... An Ex-SOLDIER legend and warrior, who was born from horrifying experiments performed by his own father, Hojo, mastered everything he could handle. The countless blood-thirsty battles he won, the materia he mastered, and the weapons he handled. The perfect warrior. The perfect being. Or so Hojo thought. His name? How could I forget?

Sephiroth.

He drained the blood from many innocent souls on the planet, after he turned mad during a mission with Cloud and Zack at the Nibelheim Reactor. He found out about Professor Gast's research and experiments, which involved him. Cruel as it may have been, he made them pay the price. Everyone. My father.. friends.. he killed most of them for revenge. Just when we thought he was gone for good when Cloud pushed him into the Life Stream, he returned again five years later.

The Shinra began draining Mako energy using reactors. The spiritual stream of energy which looks after the planet like it's Guardian Angel. These dangerous stations endangered the life of every person on the planet. More was to come though. The victims of Hojo's Jenova Project were gathering at the Northern Crater for the 'Reunion'. Sephiroth summoned the powerful black magic Meteor, in order to release all Mako Energy from the Planet by destroying it.. and to return as a God.

Our saviour, Aeris, the mysterious flower girl, the last Ancient.. Cetra.. prayed for Holy, the white materia she kept in her hair. Although, it wasn't enough. Aeris didn't get to finish the prayer. Sephiroth took her life. The last remaining ancient. Our only hope. Lost. Fragile as she was, he didn't give it a second thought.

The black materia went ahead and Meteor was called upon, which left everyone on the Planet fighting for their lives. Meteor was so close. I wanted to tell him. I wanted to tell him how I felt. But I couldn't, I was almost sick thinking about it. But there were other things to be worrying about, like the planet.Holy failed. I thought it was the end. Until I saw... a light. The Life Stream... It took over Holy's job, and destroyed Meteor for good. We believed it was Aeris. The saint. The one person who really understood the planet's feelings. She saved us, only we couldn't thank her. The deceased had spared the planet. We owed them.

Two years later, three silver-haired men called Yazoo, Loz and Kadaj, sons of Jenova, tried to create another Reunion. The terrible disease, Geostigma, caused by Jenova's cells in the Life stream affected many children myself and Cloud looked after. Vincent believed Sephiroth could return... and he did. He was using Kadaj's body to get to us.

With help from Barret, Cid, Red X111, Yuffie, Vincent, Reno, Rude and even Aeris... Cloud pulled through his depression.. and realised... it was his fate to defeat Sephiroth. And he was the only one who could do it. And he did. The faith I hadin him didn't once melt away. I knew he would do it. I believed in him.

The worst is over. But there's something else I need to question... what is my fate?

I've been wondering this for countless minutes in time. Aeris had her fate.. a terrible fate. The truth is... I thought I knew. I used to think about him everyday. Once I even had a dream about him and me together, being very passionate. Until I woke up... I realized it was never meant to be. It was a dream. Only a dream. A wish. A wish that could never come true. I wished for many things, I guess they can't all come true. The one I once loved... I travelled with him endlessly, the battles we faced, and the losses... nothing happened. No signs, no nothing. I can't sit around waiting for him any longer. Because I know it'll never happen. I need to move on from my fantasy. Now I realise. It was never my fate to be with Cloud. It wasn't my destiny.

I have to move on. But I need an answer. My life must have a meaning, not just to be fighting all the time and saving the planet. There must be something else... But.. who can help me out here? And Cloud _isn't_ an option!

It looks like my fate hasn't been written... yet.


	2. Secret in the Northern Crater

**First I'd like to say a reallyyyyyyyyyy big thank you to Desi-pride101 and Sir MIDNIGHT for reviewing:) Thankies! I should of really added the Prologue and first chapter together, but oh well I'm adding it now. :P**

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_**Fated**_

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**Chapter One- Secret in the Northern Crater**

The musky smell of perfectly blossomed flowers caught Tifa's nose as soon as she stepped into the sacred building. The dancing shadows crawled across the church wall, while the almost silent noise of crickets croaked outside in the small patch of grass which Tifa and Marlene had been growing. Tifa held the bunch of red flowers tighter under her arm, as she smiled to herself as her thoughts led her to just weeks ago when she began her very unexpected new hobby of gardening. For some reason, it made her feel safe. Because it reminded her of one certain person. The sweet, harmless flower girl who once looked after this church and helped the flowers to blossom. Just thinking about her made Tifa force a frown on her face. She was annoyed at herself for not trying harder. Maybe Aeris' death could have been avoided?

'Of course it could. I just didn't do enough...' She thought, as she trailed down the long aisle of the church, passing the sturdy benches and colourful windows which stood there looking ever so lonely. It felt lonely, without Marlene. And Aeris. Even Cloud. But it was good to be alone sometimes, even if you did miss someone special.

The smell of strong flora was getting heavier, as Tifa got closer to the large patch of flowers in the middle of the church floor. Tifa suddenly stopped in her tracks, and stood hovering over the flowers like she was trying to protect them. She glanced around the midnight-dark room with an uneasy feeling. It was kind of creepy being here at midnight, but it was worth it. She had to show her respect. As today was the day, Aeris lost her life to the demon Sephiroth. The anniversary of her death.

Tifa stared down at the patch of flora for a few seconds, letting her heart cry out for her friend. She could feel her heartbeat silently beat every second, feeling rather nervous about this. She couldn't control her lips, and suddenly a large smile spread across her face. The memories she had with Aeris were enough to make her smile, unlike her current lifestyle.

Tifa slowly bent down, and placed the red bunch of beautiful fresh flowers laid over the flower bed. Tifa quickly wiped the small droplets of water off her black bodywarmer which had dripped off the flowers like tears, before standing up again.

"If only I could thank you properly..." Tifa whispered, turning her back on the well-kept flowers, and began to walk back down the isle.

'She saved Marlene... Cloud... The Planet... Everything.' Tifa could feel the slight tinkle of water fill up in her eyes. Aeris had done so much for them, only she couldn't thank her. Cloud was forgiven... it's time Tifa was. 'I have to meet her... and tell her I'm sorry.'

Tifa listened as her heavy boots crunched against the concrete floor. It was quiet- perhaps too quiet. Tifa's stomach twisted and turned. From the corner of her eye, she suddenly caught a movement from on the wall... She spun around in shock, now standing face to face with a still shadow spread out across the stone wall.

"Aeris?" Tifa stood in amazement at the shadow. It shaped into Aeris.. her bouncy hair, ribbon, dress... Tifa could feel her heart now pounding, like a wild tiger wanting to just rip out of her body. For some reason, Tifa believed it was Aeris. Coming to say that she has forgiven her. She continued to stare endlessly at the mysterious outline of Aeris, unsure of what to do next.

A slight whistle startled Tifa, making her turn around holding her fists close to her body, for protection if it was an intruder. In front of her, stood a large plant, lime green with long leaves dangling down from the stalk and two cute leaves bobbing up and down on the top gently in the slight wind which crept through the crack in the church doors. Tifa looked back at the shadow of Aeris, then again at the plant. For a minute there, she really did think it was Aeris. Tifa sighed, disappointed. 'Fooled by.. a plant? I need to get hold of myself.'

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"Denzel? Wake up, Denzel," Tifa softly blew into Denzel's ear, as he lay snuggled in bed like a hibernating squirrel. Tifa gently stroked his strawberry hair, listening to him breathe heavily. "Denzel?" Tifa said again, only making him hold on tighter to his bed cover, and squashed his face into the feathery pillow.

Tifa had rested a tray of orange juice, toast and eggs on the side table next to Denzel's bed. Tifa squinted her eyes, as the dim light spread through the room as Cloud drew open the curtains. A ray of light irritated Denzel's eyes, making him struggle to keep his eyes closed.

Tifa glanced up at Cloud and smiled. She could see Denzel didn't want to get up just yet. Cloud simply nodded at Tifa, signaling her to leave Denzel to sleep some more. He and the other children had a busy day yesterday. Even though some of them didn't know Aeris very well , they made a little memorial to her, and planted more seeds in the flower bed and watered them. They respected her so much, just like Tifa did.

Tifa left the room, followed by Cloud. He slowly closed the door after him, letting the children sleep. Tifa sighed endlessly. Denzel looked like he was dreaming. Speaking of dreaming, it made Tifa think about her former dream. To be with the wild-haired handsome Cloud Strife, the once-believed love of her life. She always knew Aeris and Cloud had a thing for each other, but she never took action. She felt stupid for not even trying. She felt like mentally kicking herself, she felt so pissed off at herself for not telling Cloud how she felt. She knew it was too late, though, after Cloud became depressed and Kadaj showed up. All he wanted was forgiveness, even Tifa couldn't cheer him up. Besides, Tifa knew they would always be close, but she knew they couldn't be 'that' close. He had other things on his mind, and she didn't think his promise from eight years ago would stick and stay successful. She knew, that one day, something would happen, and Cloud wouldn't be able to rescue her, either because he's sacrificed himself for the planet or he's with some other girl.

She rubbed the back of her long, midnight brown hair, trying to erase the annoying thoughts from her head. Barret had rang earlier that morning, telling Tifa to meet him at the bar called The Red Mage which was only a few blocks away from 7th Heaven. He said it was urgent. To her surprise, he told her to come alone, without Cloud. It made her nervous seeing Barret again, they hadn't met in months since what happened with the Geostigma. But it mustn't be that important if Cloud wasn't to come. They needed Cloud for most battles, so it can't be too serious. She could only hope.

Making sure Cloud was away, Tifa slipped out of 7th Heaven, using her eyes to watch around her, making sure no children saw her going out either. She didn't want to risk one of the orphans seeing her then telling Cloud, otherwise he would probably question her with worry. The dim streets of Midgar were very unappealing- but at least it looked better than it did a year ago. The damage was high and pricey, but now all that was behind the people of the world, and they tried to re-build their lives and hoped for no more reunions.

As Tifa silently walked down the cobbly street, she focused her thoughts back on Barret. What did he want? It was all so strange.

'Perhaps it's good news. He said it's urgent, but if it's that urgent, he would of asked me to bring Cloud along too... wouldn't he? Hm... he sounded serious, I couldn't help but be concerned. I wanted to tell Marlene so much that I just talked to her Dad, but I don't want to get her hopes up.'

The Red Mage bar stood at the end of the road, in a spot of decent light which reflected off the windows of the bar. Yellow flowers were growing in small baskets hanging off each windowsill, which the town kids had been growing. Flowers seemed a big hit these days in Midgar, Tifa was surprised the guys weren't complaining. The usual three motorbikes stood outside the bar, belonging to the head barman and his wife. The two of them had set up this pub as Tifa had closed down her 7th Heaven and turned it into an orphanage. The white walls of the bar seemed catchy and attractive- while the other buildings surrounding were boring, gray, almost life-less, apart from the odd one or two houses which were painted bright colours, in order to make an effort.

The ruby-eyed girl pulled open the door, resulting in some people in the bar stare at the opening door in shock- like she was some kind of monster. The people of Midgar were paranoid, scared that another disaster would happen; but they never talked about it. It reminded them of their loved ones they had lost, much too painful.

Tifa watched everyone turn back to their drinks when they realized it was only Tifa, a local in the pub. The bar wasn't too busy, there was still plenty of seats left. The young barmaid behind the bar stared at Tifa as she wandered into the corner seat without even ordering a drink. It was unusual for her, she usually comes in about this time most days for a quick drink before she takes the children out to play.

The noise of people talking was almost silent- but loud enough to hear people's conversations, if she tried hard enough. Tifa rubbed her feet against the back of the padded chair, feeling a bit uneasy and paranoid. 'I hope Barret comes soon...' She glanced around, seeing who was in the bar. No one she knew, they were all working men or women taking their work break.

"Sure, but there's a catch, right, yo?" A steady, cool sounding voice caught Tifa's attention- That style of talking. She recognised it... but who?

A bright red-haired man was sat a few tables away from Tifa, along with a few others too. Dressed in black, shaggy clothes, unprofessional looking... only one man Tifa could think of. 'Reno...' Tifa smiled to herself, suddenly feeling quite happy and warm inside. She hadn't seen him since last year, when he helped her fight Kadaj and his crew. He was a right charmer, been with many ladies over the past years. He didn't seem to have trouble picking them up, though he himself was fairly picky. He went for the cute, wild, sneaky type of girls with a big attitude. Although if he got TOO drunk on one of his wild drunken nights, he'd go for anyone.

The flaming haired charmer was sat with his Turks, Elena, Rude, Tseng and Rufus. Tifa was surprised, she thought they had split up and went their separate ways after Elena and Tseng were captured- but she guessed after she lost contact with him they got back together.

"Hey, long time no see..." A familiar voice made Tifa jerk and snap out of her staring phase at The Turks, and turned her attention on the deep, broad voice. Stood hovering over the corner table, was a heavy, powerful looking man, with black hair and sturdy muscles, and a very skeptical look on his face, despite smiling very cheekily at Tifa.

"Barret!" Tifa shouted in delight, as both eyes crossed each other, beaming with joy. They hadn't seen each other in ages, she could hardly contain her joy! She sprang up from her seat, and flung her arms around him, receiving a tight squeeze back. Seeing him face to face was better than talking on the phone. Suddenly she forgot why she was here, she just wanted to catch up with Barret with all the time they had missed.

Letting go, she pushed the tucked under chair out from under the table with her foot, and tilted her head sideways, wanting Barret to sit down.

Barret tightened his belt before sitting down, then slumped into the chair just as Tifa sat back down again. For a few seconds, they both stared into each other's eyes like they were a young couple out on a date. But that's not why they were here.

"So, how ya' been?" Barret broke the silence, and rested his elbows on the table in front of them.

"Not too bad..." Tifa lied, trying to hide that really she had been fairly depressed, stressed and down for the last year. She pulled him an encouraging smile, and surprisingly succeeded. Barret fell for it.

"Great, an' by the way, I can come home now and look after Marlene full time! The cash I've been saving has piled up, so I think we'll be fine now!" An' hows that little scrum doing then, eh?"

Tifa smiled. "Cloud? Oh he's fine!"

"No more scary dreams then huh?"

"Nope, not that I know of."

"Good, 'bout time he sorts 'imself out, he's too old to be having nightmares now!"

Tifa suddenly remembered this wasn't meant to be a friendly chat. There was business to be dealing with. "So.. uh... you said there was some urgent news?"

Tifa watched as Barret's smile turned to a soft frown. He didn't want to look too negative, he didn't want to worry Tifa yet. He glanced around, making sure no one was listening. "Yeah... listen up."

"Is it... good? Or... bad?" Tifa asked, hoping it would be the first one.

"Depends how you see it, I 'spose. Anyway, ya know I've been working at Icicle Inn for a few months now? I didn't see anythin' but... well, The Northern Crater is still healin', an' The Life Stream is still doing its business healin' it an' all tha'."

Tifa listened curiously, as Barret lowered his voice and leaned in closer to Tifa.

"I heard, from my workmate, there have been eye-witnesses of people seeing a girl in a pink dress among the Life Stream. Ya' can see the Northern Crater from Icicle Inn, an' the Life Stream healing it. Apparently a woman has appeared swarming around in it, like she was signalling someone. Ya' know what I mean?"

Tifa felt her heart turn cold... she knew who he was talking about alright. But how is that possible?

"Aeris... right?" Tifa whispered. Barret couldn't help but frown... they all missed her very much, even mentioning her name was very heart-breaking. But Barret kept a straight face, he didn't want to seem weak. After all, it had been three years since she died.

Barret slowly nodded. "Yeah... I didn't see 'owt, but it's possible they did. She might be healing the planet, or waiting for someone." Barret hated to say it. He knew Tifa was in love with Cloud, but he had a feeling Aeris would be waiting for Cloud.. to see him. Barret tried to keep it as clean and simple as possible.

"Waiting for Cloud, perhaps? Hm... actually, I'm not sure what to think. What if it's some sick joke. Or maybe... a mistake?" Tifa questioned.

Barret shook his head slightly. "No no, I don't see why they would lie. An' my mate wouldn't lie, that's for sure."

Tifa stared at Barret, letting the works sink into her like a sinking ship. Neither of them said a word for the next few seconds, Barret left Tifa to think about it. He knew Cloud would want to go check it out, but he knew he would be disappointed if Aeris wasn't there.

Tifa sighed, she wasn't sure whether to be happy or sad. She really wanted to see Aeris again, and ask for forgiveness too. But at the same time, she was dreading the thought of the whole thing. How did she even know Aeris was there? What if it was a mistake? Barret had said earlier he didn't want Cloud to know...

"Why shouldn't Cloud be informed?" Asked Tifa curiously, as she crossed her legs, trying to get into a comfortable position. All of a sudden she felt uncomfortable, a bit fidgety. Perhaps it was just nerves. She wasn't sure why she had these feelings, but it felt bad.

Barret lowered his voice once more. "Well, I don't want him gettin' all excited and rushin' off the meet her. It might upset him. After all, these are only rumours. People believe different things. The townspeople said it was just some random spirit helpin' with the healing of the planet. Others said its a sign of another disaster. Nothing like this as' ever happened. No one has ever seen nuthin' like this before. Usually all the energy is formed together to create a stream of green spirits, but this certain girl apparently stood out an' swarmed through the stream into the Northern Crater. Deep shit, huh? Just like that damn crater!"

"But how do we know this is Aeris? It could be anyone!" Tifa pointed out, pulling Barret a serious look.

"I 'spose that's possible- might not be Aeris. But by the description, it sounds like Aeris. Anyway, just thought I'd tell ya! I don't want this info gettin' in Cloud's 'ed. You understand why, right?"

Tifa slowly nodded, without saying anything. Not in a million years, did she expect this. If this girl was Aeris... then she must be waiting for someone. Clearly, because this hasn't happened before. Strangled thoughts rushed through Tifa's head, confusing her, and making her desperate to find out why she was there. Maybe she wasn't waiting for Cloud. Maybe she was just... there. Not everything has a reason for being there. Why was Tifa even here? What was her purpose of being on the Planet? Why? What was her fate? What is she destined to do?

Her head began to hurt just thinking about it- she cupped her forehead in the palm of her hand, and rested her elbow on the table. What now?

"Listen, Tifa, I'm gunna go see Marlene. I'll leave you here, kay? Catch ya later!" Barret gave Tifa a quick encouraging smile, and left the bar, leaving Tifa on her own to think about what she wants to do.

Nothing much she can do really, but she was keen to know why Aeris was there. And if she kept appearing like this, perhaps she could meet her, and ask for forgiveness. Speaking of which... Aeris might be the one person who could help her...

It suddenly hit her. Aeris could talk to the planet, understand the planet, like a best friend. Like Tifa. They understood each other so well. And if anyone was going to help Tifa find out her purpose of living, it would be Aeris, the key to life.

'Yes! She could help me... it's worth a try, I guess. Anything to get me out of this mess. My life... It may be a risk, and I might be rushing into it, but it's the only thing I can do...'

Tifa bounced up from her chair joyfully, smiling like she hadn't done for a long time. Her eyes suddenly focused on the empty table where Reno and his crew were sat. 'I guess I was too busy thinking to even notice them going...'

She hadn't really thought about this through properly. No need to be getting excited over anything, because it might not even be Aeris. And how was she going to get there?

She thought back to what she heard Reno say earlier.

_"Sure, but there's a catch, right, yo?" _

'Hmm... he must still be working for Rufus and doing jobs for him...' Tifa smiled sneakily. She had it. The perfect idea. Now to put it into action.


	3. Snowy Business

**:) Wow I'm so happy, thanks for reviewing everyone, I really appreciate it! hugs When I have time in return I will read and review all your fanfics :) Hehe I'm so pleased you liked the last chapter. Not long now till Advent Children on DVD! I'm so excited:)**

**Well here's chapter two, hope you like it!**

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**_Fated_**

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**Chapter Two- Snowy Business**

"C'mon man, speed up!" Reno teased, in the process of being tossed around in the back of the old Shin-Ra van. Just 24 hours earlier, The Turks were assigned on a new mission, to check out some miss-happenings at the chilly town Icicle Inn. They didn't know much about the mission, that's what made them slightly self-conscious. They didn't know what to expect. All they knew is that there had been complaints of strong energy beams coming from The Northern Crater over-night, large shots of green light disturbing the towns people. Tseng was convinced it was only the Mako Energy healing the planet, but according to the people of the town, they much stronger blasts than ever before. They could practically feel the waves of energy beneath their feet.

Not that Reno was really bothered about this mission, because technically, it wasn't a mission. They weren't getting paid much, and also all they had to do was check out the town and stay a few nights to see if the towns people were telling the truth. Not that The Turks didn't believe them, just it would be easier if they saw it for themselves.

"..." Rude kept quiet over Reno's request. They were currently driving away from Midgar, across quite a cobbly road. Tseng was driving in the front, along with Rude next to him. The only space for Reno and Elena was in the back, so they had to somehow manage to last a bumpy journey to their hideout where their helicopter awaited them. Since the Shin-Ra were down and out, The Turks had set up their own hideout just outside of Midgar, where they were assigned on missions and dirty jobs just for money. They hadn't changed at all since a few years ago, they were still their own, cocky selves.

The awaiting 'copter may only be a few steps away from Midgar, but it was going to take longer than they all anticipated. There was extremely dangerous road works up the only road to their resting place, resulting in Tseng having to slow down, making each one of them impatient. And the heavy, bulky rocks on the road weren't making the journey any easier, especially for Reno and Elena, who were sat at the back of the van, with no seatbelt, getting knocked about like a hamster in a ball.

"You know we can't speed up, Reno. Besides, not long now before we get to our 'copter." Tseng assured the flaming haired guy, who sat with his back to the van wall, trying to use the wall as support.

"Yeah, well... the sooner the better, yo," Reno mumbled to himself. He was sat with his two knees pointing upwards, and his legs open. He rested his arms on his legs, and let his hands relax over the top of his knees. It seemed to work, he didn't get knocked about as much, although still it was irritating. Poor Elena didn't want to risk sitting with her legs open anyhow; One, it didn't feel comfortable. And two, she couldn't even manage to stand up without falling over again. Reno could see she was having trouble staying in one place, well for that he didn't blame her. He blamed those damn road workers!

'What a place to do work on anyway... it was fine as it was before! Meh...' Reno thought, as he amusingly watched Elena slide about. Earlier, Rude had offered to swap places with her, but she said no, just to be polite. Reno always thought Elena was a little TOO polite, she would always turn down offers which would help herself. But that's the way she was, she'd put others before herself, help out wherever she could... and hiding deep inside of her, a feisty side which only shows when she's truly angry. Reno loved that side to her, he even found her somewhat attractive that she had two different sides.

The van suddenly shook, making Reno jump up slightly and loose his balance. Elena let out a quiet scream, as she flew down the van. 'Shit, I'm gonna hit Reno!' She cried in her thoughts, as the force of the road make her slide down the van right into Reno. She landed in between his legs, stomach first, as she squeesed her eyes shut with embarrassment. She heard Reno let out a slight moan with shock, when she rammed into him, slamming his skinny body against the back of the van.

For a few seconds, Elena sat uncomfortably close to Reno, in shock. Their faces were incredibly close together, she could feel his soft breathes hit her face. Felt nice in a way. Reno just sat there and smirked down at her, amused that she hadn't yet moved off him.

"Heh heh.." Reno and Elena glanced up at a sniggering Tseng and Rude from the front of the van. Rude peeked steadily around the corner from his seat, smiling like he'd just got revenge on his worst enemy. The sight of Reno and Elena together made him laugh. Not just because the two of them were having a rough time back there, but because they were both so embarrassed. Maybe not Reno so much, but Elena's face looked like a tomato!

Suddenly realising she had been squashing Reno for some time now, she immediately jumped up from the spot. She took loud deep breathes with nerve, and moved further away from Reno. Reno sat back in his usual position, and glanced up at her with a nervous, cheeky smile on his face.

"Argh! Okay, Rude, let's swap places!" Elena boasted, pulling on the back of Rude's chair, like she was trying to rip it out. Reno smiled with a slight smug look on his face. He could clearly see she was terribly embarrassed. 'Bless her...' Although Reno was still feeling a little shaken. When she fell on him, he had been slammed into the wall hard, pain had shot up his spine. It felt awful.

"... You had your chance! Besides, my backs killing from sleeping on that damn hard mattress last night in that cheap scabby Inn in Midgar!" Rude complained, rubbing his back softly.

Elena sighed. "But...!" She couldn't finish her sentence, before Tseng but in.

"But nothing. You seem to be having fun back there, like when you fell onto Reno." Tseng smirked, enjoying winding Elena up. She was almost red in the face, with embarrassment and a little anger. Guys were her weakness. She couldn't ever win an argument with the Turks, and it had been years since she last had a boyfriend.

'Hmmmm...' Now that made her think. When was the last time she had a date anyway? She couldn't even remember, it made her even more annoyed. Tseng did once offer dinner, but he was hurt so that never went ahead. It was strange, her feelings for Tseng had just suddenly vanished after that. She thought he was dead and blew up in the explosion at The Temple of the Ancients, but she was wrong. He was well and alive, and back then, when she first heard Tseng was still alive, she almost wept like baby she was so happy.

But... when Tseng and her finally united together, she didn't feel anything. No heart racing, no butterflies. Just happiness that her partner in crime was alive. Her feelings for him weren't as strong as she thought they were.

Her thoughts almost trailed off, until Reno spoke up and replied to Tseng's comment.

"Hmmm... maybe Elena's 'falling' for me, yo?" Reno teased. Elena's face looked like it was about to explode with embarrassment.

"LOW BLOW, RENO! LOW BLOW!" She screamed, not at all amused by Reno sarcastic joke.

"Haha!" Reno smirked. He sat up slightly, and placed his hand on Elena's shoulder. He grabbed hold of her black jacket, and pulled her down gently, slowly making her rest against the wall next to him. "I'm just messing with you, yo!"

Elena looked away in a flush. She wasn't sure why, but lately she had been blushing alot around Reno. He had been flirting with her more than usual, teasing her and making sarcastic comments. It was in his nature, to be a jerk though. But in a way, Elena enjoyed it, but hated admitting that to herself. Lately she wasn't being honest with herself. She kept reassuring herself she had no feelings for Reno at all, and that he was simply her work partner and buddy.

Elena slid further next to Reno as the van jerked a little again. The two of them were squashed next to each other at the back of the van. They looked like a couple sat together, and that thought made Elena even more nervous!

Elena swallowed the annoying liquid in her mouth hard. 'Oh geez... I can't wait till I get in that 'copter!'

--

Tseng was the last to aboard the helicopter as it hovered patiently on the ground. He could hardly hear himself think. The main rotor was beginning to speed up, creating a mini tornado and making a loud racket. Tseng suddenly felt a rush of chilly wind run down his back, caused by the wind slowly building up. As he boarded the 'copter, the sound of Reno and Elena messing about in the back seats made him sigh; perhaps listening to the helicopter rotor was better than listening to them two messing on.

Rude was in the driver's seat, holding onto the controls, waiting for Tseng to give him orders. Tseng literally flung himself into the seat next to Rude, now the bickering of Elena and Reno beginning to get on his nerves. Sometimes it felt like Rude was the only decent member of the Turks- he was so relaxed, cool, almost perfect. Then there was Elena, the girl who never knew when to shut up. Typical girl. And Reno, the tease.

'It's like living with kids...' The broad thought soon vanished, as he realised his team were waiting for him to give orders. Moving his tie from side to side, trying to get it straight again, he slowly nodded at Rude, signaling him to close the 'copter doors. Rude didn't say anything back, but did exactly what the leader told him too.

The helicopter door slid shut, blocking out all possible wind and cold. Tseng finally felt relaxed; apart from now the noise of the wind couldn't hide Elena and Reno teasing each other.

"Reno! You've got your own seat! Stop coming onto mine!" Elena cried, only making Tseng boil up even more.

"Alright you two, that's enough. I know this is our first mission in ages, but stop acting like kids and cool it!" Tseng ordered Reno and Elena, who stared back blankly at him. Finally the two of them became silent, Tseng could put his mind at rest. "Okay; Rude, let's go!"

--

The black flip phone was laid on the table, next to a picture frame with the photo of the group which was took a year ago. Tifa, Cloud, Barret, Cid, Vincent, Yuffie, Red X111, all of them were there. Well, almost all of them.

Tifa picked up the photograph, and stared at it long and hard. Just looking at it made her happy; all of her friends were smiling, happy, because Geostigma was cured. But once again Aeris had wandered her way into Tifa's thoughts and memories, making her weak at the legs. She couldn't ever see that sweet smile of Aeris' again. Or hear her witty voice, listen to her girly jokes, or touch her warm hands.

Tifa tried to imagine Aeris in the photo. For some reason, she imagined Aeris stood next to Cloud, holding hands and smiling. Where she should be. At one point Tifa wished that would be her- holding hands with Cloud. But it never happened.

The ruby-eyed girl gently placed the photo back down on it's stand, and glanced at her black mobile phone. She knew what she wanted to do. But ringing The Turks so know one could hear her would be hard. Usually Reno would try to make a conversation about anything at all, and not realise it. That's what Tifa liked so much about Reno. He would make an effort and not know it, he had something charming, witty, almost attractive about him. He was so laid-back, and she knew that deep down inside, he was a right little softy. He had even tried to save some of the kids a year ago.

'He sacrificed his life for the orphans.. a true gentleman...' Tifa smirked, grabbing the phone off the table without a second thought. 'Here goes...'

She flipped open the phone, suddenly receiving a loud ringing noise like twinkling stars in the sky shooting down. A bold message appeared on her screen.

_You have 1 new message._

Tifa raised her eyebrows. She hadn't had one of those in a long time. Maybe is was just one of the kids messing about. There was only one way to find out. Tifa slowly pressed the OK button on her phone, which would lead her directly to who had sent the message.

_Total Messages; 1_

_Message 1: Yuffie._

"Yuffie?" Tifa shouted in delight, suddenly letting her smile rip across her face. She had been wanting to do that all day, just it could never come out right. Now it did, she felt so better. Warm bubbles swam through her body with total excitement and delight. She hadn't heard from Yuffie for ages, perhaps the same amount of time as Barret. Yuffie had went off to live in Wutai, where she collected materia as a hobby. Tifa was so glad to hear from her again.

She hesitated in pressing the OK button again, that would reveal the message. It had been so long, she just hoped it would be a friendly message with good news. She hit the OK button, still with a cheesy smile on her face. She couldn't wait to hear what Yuffie had been up to.

_Hey Tifa! I might be coming home to see you!_

_I need more materia! Hey, is there any more _

_there for me? I'll pay you! Wait.. maybe not,_

_will you be nice and give it to me for free?_

_Anyway I've missed you all! I should have_

_called sooner, but I'll be back to lay_

_some flowers in the church for Aeris!_

_Cya soon, Yuffie._

Tifa smiled gently as she read the last words of her message. She held the phone closely to her chest, and rested it there for a little while. She closed her eyes, unbelievably happy Yuffie was coming home. It seemed lately everyone was returning to show their respect for Aeris. Typical, Yuffie was late. The anniversary was yesterday. But... speaking of being late, where was Cid? Red X111, Cait Sith and Vincent? They had all went their separate ways a year ago, but none of them had been in contact since then. Maybe the one of two text messages from Vincent, but they all seem to have vanished. Surly they would come home to see them? Especially Aeris' death anniversary.

Tifa shook her head in annoyance. 'How could they? This is Aeris we're talking about... but... I guess they might have their own ways of showing respect. Perhaps in Cosmo Canyon they held a remembrance, or in Rocket Town they had a two minute silence. Hmm... then again, not many people know Aeris. Maybe individually, each of them did their own little thing? People are ignorant, they'll never believe the story of one girl who saved the planet. They won't have a remembrance over one girl who they've never met, ever heard of, coming from us ex-AVALANCHE members.'

It made Tifa so angry thinking about it- she wasn't sure what to think. It would be nice just to keep the memories of Aeris between themselves. A secret. So each AVALANCHE member would have someone to thank for saving the planet. All the other people just say it was fate, that the planet had to live.

'No! This is no time to be thinking like this! I've got a job to do!' Tifa flipped open her phone again, and scrolled down her list of numbers. She scrolled down until she came to Reno. She stared wide-eyed at the name for a while, unsure if she should call it or not. She didn't want to seem a fool, but it was worth a try.

_Reno_

_.Call_

_.Message_

_.Edit_

_.Delete_

Swallowing hard, Tifa placed her thumb on the OK button to call him...

"TIFA TIFA!" Tifa jumped in shock, and spun around to face the door where the loud, excited screams of 'TIFA' had come from. Stood at the door, was Marlene, dressed in a cute white dress, and her usual tied back ribboned hair. She was smiling excitedly, seemed very positive and happy about something.

Tifa's bouncing heart suddenly slowed down with relief. She placed her hand over her heart, thanking herself for not ringing Reno sooner. If Marlene had over-heard, then there goes her plans, and Cloud would be informed which wouldn't be good.

Tifa smiled back at the hyper little girl. Marlene bent her knees, and jumped up through the air in delight. "Guess what, guess what?"

The long-haired beauty sweetly smiled at Marlene, playing along with her little game. "Ohh I don't know, what?" Tifa bent down next to Marlene, and pulled her an encouraging look.

"Papa and Cloud just got a call from Cid and Vincent! They are all coming home! Isn't it great?" Marlene almost squealed with delight.

As the words sunk into Tifa, her heart suddenly felt warm again, like her life was fulfilled. She truly was happy to hear it. "Oh, fantastic! That's great news, Marlene. When are they coming?" Tifa asked, interested in when their arrival would be. But at the same time, she knew it would cause problems, despite really wanting to see them again.

"Today! Papa's gonna try and contact Red X111 and Cait Sith too! We're all gonna have a big feast and a memorial for Aeris! I can't wait! All of the kids are ever so excited, Tifa!" Marlene beamed, jumping up and down on the spot.

"Haha," Tifa felt like she was going to cry. "That's the best news I've heard!" And she wasn't lying, it really did feel great. Seeing everyone again, sharing stories, hugging, just thinking about it made Tifa weak with happiness.

Leaning forwards towards Marlene, Tifa gently hugged her, letting Marlene rest her soft head on her shoulder. There was still something missing though. The reason she _had_ to ring Reno, ask him to do this favour for her. A frown crept over her face, as she continued to hug Marlene. Her happiness was only half-fake- the depression had settled in.

--

The snowy town of Icicle Inn looked the same as it did 4 years ago. The wooden huts stood in the deep, falling snow, with the sturdy roofs which were floured in snow and ice. The screaming children could play out here 24/7 in the snow, at least it kept them occupied. Many of them were running wild, sliding down snowy hills in their sledges while adults were taking pictures or settling inside their homes with an open fire and soup. As usual, the sky was pale blue, from the chilly wind and snowy mountains. In the distance, stood tall cliffs, and the biggest one of all. The Northern Crater, stood quietly in the distance, not too far from here. The towns people got a perfect view. It was as beautiful as ever, the ice slide which surrounded the outside, and the deep hole in the centre where snow fell continuously.

A shiny, green wave of light was circling the Crater, healing it as the children played, and the planet got back to it's normal self. Nothing unusual about it, it had been like that for years and years. Rude began to wonder if this was all just a waste of time; and the towns people were lying, trying to get attention or cause a disturbance. Tseng however, had a feeling the so-called 'strong beams of light' happened every now and then, mainly at night, so they would have to stay at the Inn and wait.

"Shall we?" Reno asked, hinting he wanted to get right into the town into the warmth and not hang around the outskirts near their helicopter. Each Turk glanced at each other, and slowly nodded, agreeing they should get inside.

It had been a long time since the four of them had came here, but they remembered it well. Reno held his body as they walked into the town, the cold really getting to him. Elena rubbed her arms, trying to warm herself up. Tseng and Rude just walked in normally, like they couldn't feel the cold. The two of them liked to act the coolest, they didn't want any little bit of cold get to them and make them seem weak.

Finally into the town, they felt more at home, more welcomed. Each of them stared over at the huge Crater all at once, squinting their eyes as the cold wind stung their faces. Reno was too concentrated on the Crater to even think about the cold anymore. The spiritual energy had drawn them to the Crater. It was still healing, they wondered how long it was going to take. Thousands of years? Longer?

There was a silence between them all, as they watched the Life Stream swim around the Crater. Elena cupped both hands together, and held them up to her face. 'Wow...' From a distance, it looked different. She could see sparkles of light like stars, all around the crater like it was protecting it, a guardian angel. Now the Crater was about half-way healed, it looked so full of life and healthy, shiny and bright. Gorgeous.

Tseng finally spoke up, disturbing the silence and took them out of their own little worlds. "Alright, I guess now we wait. We all know what we're looking for right? Let's head over to the Inn."


End file.
